Supplementary Materials for “A Map to a Career in Korea: What You Need to Know!”

Supplementary Materials for “A Map to a Career in Korea: What You Need to Know!”

In preparing his special report“A Map to a Career in Korea: What You Need to Know!”, KBC Intern Jared Muloongo interviewed a number of experts. The following materials contain mostly unedited information provided by those experts who gave us permission to identify them and share their insights publicly.

Click the button to hear the audio recording, or download the mp3 to your computer:

Transcript of the Composite Audio-Interviews by Jared Muloongo for the “A Map to a Career in Korea” Report

Jared: Welcome to Korea Business Central Get a Job Interview, produced by www.KoreaBusinessCentral.com. Korea Business Central – the premium information and networking site for conducting business in Korea. My name is Jared Muloongo and I’ll be hosting the first Get a Job audio report.

Today’s topic is about the job market in Korea. Finding a job in one’s home country is a difficult task. In a foreign country, the task increases. But in Korea, things become even more tricky. Unless one is educated on the market, it is near impossible to land a job in Korea.

Forget the stories you read on the Internet. Being successful in Korea requires determination, planning, and hard work. To be successful, one needs to understand and position themselves to be able to receive the benefits of good fortune.

With that in mind, I took time to interview Three individuals – two experts from different fields of focus and one administrator at a foreign-based company in Seoul. My interviewees were Jamie Lee, a global marketing consultant with human resource management and recruiting experience. Her recruiting experience came when she worked with the Korean Ministry of Education to hire over 600 educators in the English space.

Kristen Chen, an administrator for a foreign information technology firm. Like most of us, she was searching for a job in Korea over a year ago. Now that she has a job, her insights into her experience can help many of us understand what to expect in the job search.

Finally, Mr. William Sisson, a senior executive search consultant in Asia where he develops marketing strategies that solve staffing problems for multinationals. With over 16 years of experience, his insights make this report even more insightful for senior executives seeking new positions.

I began by asking them, “Does GPA or great academic results matter when applying for a job in Korea?”

Jamie: This depends on what type of industry you’re applying to. It definitely is considered if you’re going to be applying for a teaching position, because the education boards in Korea do require a limited GPA score. They actually have a GPA limit.

It’s not anything crucial. You don’t have to be an academic person in order to apply, but there is a cutline. I don’t remember exactly what the cutline is, but I haven’t really seen anyone dropped because of the cutline. Only very seldom it happens. It is considered if you are applying for an education position.

But in general, if you’re just looking for a position in Korea or if the question is for Koreans who are applying for jobs in Korea, I wouldn’t say that GPA scores are actually used in the process of determining whether or not they’re going to have an interview with you, but there will be some HR managers who might take a look at it or might just have it to put in their file.

Kristen: The overall job market composition in Korea is still somewhat heavily based on GPA and academic achievement, so I will say yes, it does when you’re applying to big companies – conglomerates and large Korean companies.

But of course one rule does not apply to everything, so GPA matters less if you’re applying to SME’s small-medium enterprise.

William: GPA and academic results, in some cases, they do matter. Usually those cases are for entry-level positions. It also depends on the company’s requirements. However, even in some cases, the actual university that the candidate attended also is very important. There are many companies who seek out and will only accept candidates maybe who graduated from Ivy League schools or at least a top-tier school.

Usually those kind of candidates, they’re looking for law degrees, special MBAs, or maybe a specialty like engineering from MIT in the U.S.

However, for more senior level or a vice president or higher C-level position, then usually graduation from university is not much of a concern.

Jared: Korea is big on Woori so in hiring an individual, does personality matter? What kind of personality is needed to be able to work in a Korean firm?

Jamie: I would say yes to that question, but not so much because of the phrase or culture of Woori being important. If I were to tell you a little bit of myself first so I could give you a little bit of understanding where my answer is coming from, I grew up in America and I came to Korea at the age of 13. So I’ve had education in middle school and high school up to university in Korea, and then I got a job and had approximately 13 years of working experience in Korean firm and also an international, multinational firm in Korea.

Yes, it is important. I believe that personality is probably one of the most important factors in applying for a job. This is not so much for Korea. I would say it’s probably the same globally, but especially in Korea because of the culture.

Being a recruiter myself and working as a hiring manager, it just really doesn’t work out if you don’t have the personality that fits for the company you’re applying to. One of the things that hiring managers of firms look at is actually your first impression, and that really comes from your personality. It’s not what you say; it’s not how you say it. It really is a matter of the poise – the essence – that comes off from you as a person.

Understanding a person’s personality really does come from experience. With that understanding that personality is important, I think it’s good for you to know as an applicant applying for a job, especially in another country, it’s always good to understand the culture and try to be as polite as possible. They’re always looking for someone who has good interpersonal skills. A personality that shows you have good interpersonal skills would be someone who listens carefully and gives answers to questions that you’re being asked instead of just talking about yourself and not giving the answers that are being asked.

Listening attentively is very important, especially if you’re a non-Korean candidate who’s applying to work in Korea because there will definitely be a language barrier at some point in your life here in Korea – especially if you don’t have any understanding of the Korean language.

One important thing I’d like to mention is the communication doesn’t always begin at the time of the interview, but actually starts in the process of your e-mail correspondence – also the first impression you show when you come up to the front desk of the company that you’re applying to.

In some cases, I’ve also seen hiring managers asking for a few points for evaluation from the front desk receptionist to see if the applicant had any bad habits or treated the receptionist with bad manners as well. That might be a very different case, but I have actually seen that happen.

I would say, yes, personality is very important, but not so much because of the term Woori but just because it itself is a very important factor in communication I believe..

Kristen: Like I mentioned earlier, career work culture is influenced by the Confucianism. The work environment is usually family-like, and in order to maintain this family-like work environment, company activities are usually arranged regularly to motivate employees. There is also the hierarchical structure where management decision process is usually highly centralized. As new hires, you usually do not get to participate in decision making. This also depends on each company’s corporate culture, and there will be slight differences in terms of actual work environment.

But of course, no matter where you’re coming from, you need to be prepared to work hard because your fellow Korean colleagues are very diligent and hardworking.

William: Personality matters absolutely 100% of the time. In my experience, you can be extremely highly experienced, knowledgeable, and expert in your field, but once you get into the interview process, your personality can make the deal or can cause you to be dropped.

Absolutely, personality matters.

Jared: How does one get noticed or become visible to hiring managers in Korea?

Jamie: I’d say knowing someone in the firm you are applying to is, of course, the best route. If it is not possible to get yourself acquainted with international recruiters, be careful to find ones that are certified. Many of those are working in Korea. Send in your resume.

The best thing is to be able to get a face-to-face interview with your recruiter first, rather than just sending in your e-mail. If you wait and nothing happens, there’s a big possibility that nothing is going to happen.

Get yourself out there. Go out and meet people. Try to send in your resume to as many places as possible and try to use your network to help you.

Kristen: To get noticed or become visible to managers in Korea, you need to have skill sets or experience that an average Korean does not have. For example, being trilingual – speaking Chinese, Korean and English – for a sales and marketing position will be a very big plus. Possessing a strong technical background while being fluent in English for an engineering position in an IT company will also be a very big plus, and so on.

William: The main way for a foreigner to become visible to a hiring manager is through personal introduction directly from a Korean. How does a foreigner do that? 100% I fully believe in networking. Building, creating, and maintaining your social business network is one of the best ways to find a job in Korea.

Even if you’re not in the country now or even if you’re outside of the country, it’s a great idea to start networking, linking, and contacting people in the industry or associations that are related to what kind of industry or job market you want to get into.

Another way is for foreigners to maybe take a lower-paying job, such as teaching English, marketing, or something sales oriented and then network your way into a higher opportunity sooner or later.

The main key here is developing relationships with Koreans. This leads to building mutual trust and understanding of each other. I’d say if your network only consists of foreigners, expats, or only people that are from your country that you associate with, then your possibility of finding a job is very limited. But once you start reaching out into the Korean community itself, you never know who they know or who their father knows, where in casual conversation they may be looking for someone just like you.

Keep your mind open, keep your network open, and I think it will take you a long way.

Jared: How does one utilize the network they gain wisely in order to gain a job? Now that you have a network and you’re maintaining it, what do you do?

Jamie: I’d say this is more of a personal strategy. It should be led by your own instincts. But if I were to give you some examples, one might apply to an online application of an open position that you might find on the Internet or through an advertisement. It’s good to always include a recommendation letter. When I say recommendation letter, I would like to mention that it should have a signed signature – an actual handwritten signature – and be a hard copy rather than a scanned image if possible.

A recommendation letter should also contain a contact number to be eligible. Ask your Acquaintance to put in a few words for you that you submitted your resume to whichever company and whichever department you’re interested in applying for. Or if you have recommendations on LinkedIn that you’re sure the applied company will be familiar with, I think it’s a good idea to be sure to include a copy of a printed version of your LinkedIn profile and include that with your recommendation as well.

Kristen: Through a network, you could skip the resume screening stage and usually jump directly to interviews. You should keep in touch with your network in Korea to keep yourself up to date on any insider job offer.

To maintain your network in Korea, social media is a very easy way these days. You could use that to stay in touch. Korean people like to meet up face-to-face, so catch up with the closer ones to maintain real relationships. Of course remember to help them out, because relationships, as we all know, is a two-way street. It could be you asking for career help one day.

William: My number one suggestion is communication – and I mean communication frequently, but not on the level where you become burdensome or your e-mails start looking like spam mail.

For example, in my business network, I send out a quarterly newsletter which is a mixture of business-related topics as well as some of my personal experiences in Korea. Because I have a global network all over the world, I try to include some sort of trip I took or what’s happening in Korea that may be more of a personal interest than business related. I mix business and social networking into the same. Keep it kind of informal, if you will.

Other things I would do:

If you get noticed receives a promotion or a job change, send them a congratulatory e-mail or if you have some simple questions. I wouldn’t go begging for a job, but if you have questions about their company or maybe the industry in Korea, go ahead and send them a quick e-mail, but keep it short and keep it simple. Then maybe follow up and ask them when they have time, if you’re in the country, maybe meet for lunch or coffee and a general introduction.

Again, I say be very tactful and very professional and business-like. Even dinner or drinking or after hours, behave yourself. You never know who’s watching or who’s observing your activities. I even mean your online activities, discussions you post on KBC, LinkedIn, or other social networking sites and including the way you act in these face-to-face. Even though informal, your actions speak louder than words.

Jared: What are some great resources to have and use in gaining a job in Korea?

Jamie: As a hiring manager, I would definitely use KBC as a good resource. I’d probably send out direct messages to people I know who I believe might have good references or be able to connect me with anyone who might be knowledgeable of any applicants, because I do know that the people in KBC are very helpful people and really trying to help connect people with people.

The best way I would use KBC is to just contact the people I know directly and just send out messages for them that “I’m looking for this type of person if you can connect anyone or connect anyone, please let me know.” I’m sure a reply will come in no time.

I also might post more detailed information on Twitter, Facebook, and my LinkedIn and connect that to KBC either in a group or to the people I know.

Be sure to mention that you’re seeking a position. Also, don’t be afraid to write it in your bio, in your description so anyone who might come across your description will know that you’re looking for a position and it will prompt them to remember you, if they might encounter any possible position that’s looking for someone like you.

Remember to tweet about it and direct message to anyone you think may be able to help you, or even anyone you don’t think might be able to help you – you never know. Keep spreading the word. Remind yourself to keep reminding others.

Be prepared to have a finished resume and a good photo to send out to anyone that requests it. In Korea, the photo is important.

Kristen: Great resources I recommend is definitely KBC. LinkedIn is also a good way for professional job positions. There is also SENSA Job World Korea. They hold either annual or twice a year job fairs in Korea where you can get to meet recruiters face-to-face and have on-site interviews right away. Sometimes local headhunters are useful also.

William: There are many resources out there, and if you look on KBC, there is one discussion that lists job sites that post jobs in English or you’ll be able to search for English jobs on some other websites. If KBC members go to the job discussion, there’s a whole list of job sites.

Besides networking and finding the actual job site, if you’re from a foreign country, you can contact your embassy that’s here in Korea. Ask them if they could send you a list or you could find out what companies are in Korea and contact the company directly themselves.

It takes a lot of proactivity, a lot of research, and it takes a lot of hard homework for a candidate outside of Korea who wants to work in Korea.

Jared: What kinds of resumes get noticed in Korea?

Jamie: Keep it in good length. Don’t make it too long. It shouldn’t be too short. If the company you’re applying to is a multinational firm with the headquarters abroad, an English resume should be enough.

On the other hand, large Korean firms may request a Korean version, but don’t let that lead you to making a Korean version only. I recommend to prepare it only if you’re required to submit a Korean version. The English version should be enough for you.

It also will be good to include a cover letter. With regards to the cover letter, just be sure to direct the letter to the main of the firm that you’re applying to. Never make one standard for all positions. That never really works. Each time you’re applying, be sure to do some final touchups so that your resume does highlight the strengths that you feel that international firm would specifically be interested in a candidate.

Kristen: A good resume should be two pages and reader-friendly with related experiences included and not every single experience that you’ve had. Also, a lot of candidates include some very personal information which is not necessary. Just make sure you stick to the related work experience and education, and make it short and sweet.

The people who should be reading your resume to help you get an advantage are the HR department definitely, because in the end they will be the ones hiring you and doing the hiring process, and of course the department or team that this position belongs to.

Let’s say you’re going for a marketing position. Make sure the marketing department’s manager reads your resume, because that person also has a lot to say in terms of hiring you or not.

William: We also pointed out about who should be reading and what things can be done to change the resume. If you’re talking about who should be reading the resume, I’m assuming that you are referring to maybe someone to help you edit it or make comments by someone other than yourself, which would be one area.

As an expat myself, one of the number one pet peeves I have, even when I read a resume that a Korean has written, is if they were too lazy to run spell check. I can overlook grammar, but if you are from an English-speaking country where it’s your first (or at least a high-level second language), then there’s absolutely no reason why spelling errors or even horrible grammar is acceptable.

The second thing is if you really, really want to make an impression on a Korean company, I would take the time and have your resume or CV translated into Korean. There’s Western style, which we use resumes in the U.S. area. CVs are more European style, and at times CVs can be a bit confusing to Korean HR.

Korean style resumes are very template form. It’s almost a fill-in-the-blank. One of the biggest things that Korean style has is basically a self-introduction. This is where you would write almost an autobiography about your life, your philosophy, your dreams, what you believe in, your goals, your desires. It’s a whole different format from a traditional Western or European style resume or CV. It definitely will help you in the process if you take that into account.

Jared: There is no substitute for practice before an interview. What can individuals expect to be asked when applying for a job interview? Do you have five easy tips for them to remember?

Jamie: Who you are being interviewed by and what type of position you’re applying to, of course. I could go into a 2-3 page long discussion – article, actually – on this topic, but if I could give you just a few general questions that are frequently used in the Korean market, they would probably narrow down to the following questions.

“What makes you a strong candidate for the position?”

The next question probably would be “Tell me about your understanding of the position and what skills are required?” They do like to hear your knowledge about the position and the company you’re applying to. It’s a real minus if you have no information about the position you’re applying to.

Another question might be “Tell me about a problem you had in the office or with a colleague and how you overcame it.” This will give you a chance to show your leadership or problem-solving skills.

Another question might be “If you drink, how much do you drink?” I know this is a silly question, but as silly as it is, it is actually one of the most frequently asked questions in Korea. I also wonder why they ask this question. I assume that it is because of the drinking culture in Korea. There are a lot of people who don’t drink in Korea as well these days, but they do have a tendency to appreciate it if you’re able to just go with the flow and be able to enjoy at least a drink. It’s never good to say you’re a heavy drinker.

Another question is a very, very difficult question. It’s actually a very simple question. They might ask you out of the blue “Tell me about yourself.” I’d say that’s probably one of the most scariest questions, because I’ve never seen anyone who’s 100% prepared for that question. Any HR manager or recruiter who asks this question is a very smart one, because this really gets you out of the blue, but it’s a chance to check your personality and see what kind of person you really are – if you’re a prepared person or not. It could also be a trick question. On the other hand, you could really take advantage of this question and be able to promote yourself.

They also might ask you if you work well under pressure, to give an example. Practice makes perfect, so practice in advance. It will help you to make a Q&A sheet and try to think of all the questions that might be asked and how you would answer them. It’s better if you write it down on paper. You don’t have to memorize it and I wouldn’t recommend you to do that because you might sound like a robot when you’re answering the questions if one does come up from your Q&A sheet. But it is good to write them down. That will be a very good practice for you.

If you have a recruiter, if you’re working with a recruiter, you can ask them to provide you with a Q&A or dos and don’ts for the possible interview that will be held.

Also, I’d advise you to research the web. Look for as much information as you can on the company you’re applying to. These days it’s not too difficult to find related people or staff members on social media like Twitter or LinkedIn and just try to link in as many people as you can, and you might be able to ask them questions. What kind of questions were they asked when they were applying to the companies they remember?

It also helps to look at other people’s LinkedIn profiles who are working in the position you wish to work in in the future. If they’re working for that company, it also might help to see what they’ve written down in their LinkedIn profiles.

Think about what kind of achievements you want to highlight or what other people have highlighted in their profile as well.

Kristen: A question you can always expect to be asked is “Why do you choose to work in Korea?” Sometimes you’ll be asked, “What makes you come to Korea?” Make sure you are prepared for this question and offer them your most sincere answer first.

Study the company well so you will know how to match your skills and personality to the position and the company during the interview.

Be prepared to ask your interviewer questions. I say this because this is the candidate’s chance to clarify anything that’s ambiguous, such as the company’s work culture. If it’s not something you’re looking for, then both of you could end up not very happy.

Third, do your homework for the salary so you will know how to negotiate when the time comes.

Fourth, get ready to be asked some personal questions such as, “What is your father’s occupation?” “Are you married?” and so on. Usually Korean companies do ask quite personal questions to do a little background check of who you are.

Last, be ready to persuade the interviewer that you’re not another foreigner who will just ride and jump. This is often a recruiter in Korea’s biggest fear.

The question you could ask to ensure this does not happen is, “Is there anything about my background that gives you a concern?” to go for a good conclusion.

William: My tip on interviewing is to practice, practice, and practice. If you’re not good at interviewing, you get nervous or you’re unable to communicate, then you really need to practice with your friends, family, classmates, strangers on the street. You need to be able to think quickly and business-like to any question that the HR person might ask you.

Traditionally, Korean interviews follow the Western style interview, meaning they’re going to ask you about your experience, knowledge and skills, but they may ask you some of the strange questions like, “If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be?” or some of those hypothetical questions. They’re basically the same style interview as any other country.

I also want to point out that the way you act in an interview – the nonverbal communication – also says a lot about you and makes an impression on the HR person about what kind of individual you are.

When you’re practicing your interview, I would suggest you record it with a video camera or ask a friend to take notice with nonverbal cues. What I mean here is sometimes when people speak, they play with their hair, scratch their nose too much, their hand gestures are too big, or they don’t make eye contact. There’s a lot of nonverbal communication that the HR people look for, so you need to practice and take notice of these actions as well because they can also be read in a negative.

Jared: What positions should individuals seek to apply to when they are trying to get into the Korean job market?

Jamie: That’s a very general question. If you’re asking the trend, I’d say that there are more possibilities in jobs in the IT field, definitely in the education field in general. But you would really have to do some research on that, I’d say. This is in the case you don’t have a specific profession that you already have accumulated enough experience.

When I say education, I do mean teaching in Korea because in order to apply to be a teacher, you don’t actually have to have teaching experience so this is a good start off if you don’t have any working experience or if you’re not sure of what position you want to work in or develop your career in the future. It’s a good starting point if you don’t have experience.

I am aware that the island of Jeju of Korea has several international schools that may hire teachers, or also administrators, from around the world. They are working on trying to make Jeju Island a very strong place for education for Korean students, but they’re also recruiting students from around the school so they will be needing a lot of English speakers there too.

If you don’t have any experience, you can apply to an ESL teaching position. If you get hired for an ESL position, the Korean government will issue you an E2 Visa which enables you to work in Korea as a teacher for one year. It’s very easy to get that visa extended.

You do not have to have a certification. You do not have to have teaching experience. However, you will be a stronger candidate if you have studies in English, education, or linguistics. The minimum requirement is to have a BA in any field.

William: I found this question very tricky, because very little work experience for Korea can be a very big plus, or a big disadvantage. It all depends on the company and what the company is looking to hire.

The most important is the age range. Korea is very hierarchal. You may be highly qualified, but you may be too old or you may be too young. Many of the larger companies have spring and autumn hiring sprees. This is a time when they generally hire fresh graduates, because this is graduating time in Korean universities. This is when they bring on board the thousands and thousands of brand new entry-level employees who have very little experience or just graduated from university.

I think if you’re a fresh graduate, you need to keep an eye on the type of company, websites, and their staffing procedure. Some do travel hiring sprees where they may visit to the U.S. or Europe. People need to take the proactive approach and follow what these companies are doing.

If you are an experienced person, then you need to look at their website and see what kinds of positions are being offered. I would also suggest that if you’re experienced enough, you contact headhunters and search firms in Korea and send them a copy of your resume. They have usually more mid-management and senior level or contracted out to the headhunter community. You need to be in contact with the multiple headhunters who will be able to let you know when a job matches your skill set.

Don’t forget even if you’re just a fresh graduate, what will set you apart from the thousands and thousands of Koreans who are applying for the same position is possibly going to be your language skills. If you have a unique language or bilingual/trilingual language skills, this will really set you in a higher bracket than, say, a Korean who only knows Korean. Make sure this appears on your resume.

Jared: We know work experience has an effect on getting hired. When interviewees have little to no experience, what can they include in their resumes to show they have the necessary skills to make up for a lack of work experience?

Jamie: I think that’s a very good question and I think my answer goes for any country. Any volunteer experience such as working at the community center or a Sunday school, such as Sunday school teaching, is very helpful. Or any leadership experience such as working as a football coach in high school or university, or working as a librarian. Tutoring experience is also considered in many cases.

Just be careful to understand that working at a bar or as a DJ at a club can get you off the potential list. In Korea, there is a very negative view on bars or clubs, so I wouldn’t put that in your resume. But any type of volunteering work will definitely be a plus.

Kristen: For those who have very little or no experience, they could include their part-time job experience, extracurricular and/or volunteering experiences on their resume because these experiences will often give the recruiters an idea of what kind of person they are and what kind of transferrable skills the candidate has. This usually makes up for the lack of employment experience.

William: I would say almost 99% of the ones who get the job are very proactive in their job search. They’ve completed some sort of industry-related internship either in their home country or abroad. It’s very good if you can do an internship with a Korean company maybe in your home country.

Also, if you’re young enough or have the time, if you can start learning the Korean language, that only can be a huge plus for getting the job in Korea.

Jared: What things should foreigners expect to find when they get a job in Korea? The reason behind the question is to gain an expert advantage by being able to show a unique understanding of the Korean work environment.

Jamie: It’s a very interesting question. It’s kind of vague as well in my perspective. Maybe I can take you through a little bit of the experience I had when I went into firms in Korea.

One of the things you can expect is probably on your first day, you won’t have any work on your table. There is a culture to go around the entire company and say greetings to the people you’ll be working with in each department. Soon after you join the company, you will probably have a welcoming party for you. It will probably be a dinner party where there will be alcohol. You should remember to be careful that no matter how casual the atmosphere seems, there are always people who will be evaluating your behavior. Keep that in mind.

That also goes for dress code as well. Even if your colleagues and even if your company has a culture of wearing jeans to work, I would say in the Korean culture image is very important, so dress as professional as possible. Over-dressing is always better than under-dressing.

Keep in mind you’re being evaluated at all times. Just be careful what you say. Be careful not to make any mistakes and give yourself some time to get used to the company culture before you head on. Don’t push yourself to show your leadership in the first few weeks. After you’re able to mingle in with the people at your company, then it’s the time you need to start and really boost your performance.

What I’m trying to say is social life in Korea can be very difficult, but it’s also very important at the same time.

Kristen: Like I mentioned earlier, Korea work culture is influenced by Confucianism, so the work environment is usually family-like. In order to maintain this family-like work environment, company activities are usually arranged regularly to motivate employees.

There is also the hierarchical structure where management decision processes is usually highly centralized. As new hires, you usually do not get to participate in decision making. This also depends on each company’s corporate culture, and there will be slight differences in terms of actual work environment. But of course, no matter where you’re coming from, I think you need to be prepared to work hard because your fellow Korean colleagues are very diligent and hardworking.

William: I think this is probably the most important question out of all the ones we’ve talked about. Working in Korea can be a very rewarding and life-changing experience. For example, I came here for one year and was expecting to return home. Now I’m going into my sixth year here in Korea.

Many foreigners who have an opportunity to find out that working in Korea is not as easy as they thought it would be, but if you keep an open mind, you accept the culture and you acclimate yourself to the Korean culture (their social and business structure, which is different), I think your time, if you’re successful in getting a job, will be very, very fulfilling.

Koreans have what they call the Korean way of doing business. Over the years, many expats have tried to change them. Gradually these Korean companies are taking notice that the Korean way is not always the best way to do business, and outside of Korea, it is not acceptable in the global market.

I have seen that Korean business culture is still developing. They are growing and I think in the next few years, they will finally be considered part of the internationally accepted standards, procedures, and processes that other global companies have around the world.

Jared: With that, we come to the conclusion of our audio report. Thank you for listening. Goodbye.

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...I must congratulate you on bringing Mr. Yoon into KBC. The authentic voice and humour of the Korean businessman provides a perfect commentary on everyday news. Well done! It cheers me up every time I read it. Best regards from a chilly London.

Bill Reed, Managing Consultant, East Asia Business

Steve, HS Yoon's commentary is hilarious! Keep it coming. He is GREAT! How can I send this to all my friends, foreign and domestic, Korean and western--a subscription or just forward the email? How can they get this themselves each time? (** Answer to Bill Dresselhaus' questions above: Anyone can get a free subscription to HS Yoon's commentary by joining KBC!)

Bill Dresselhaus, CEO/President, Dresselhaus Group, Inc.

Love HS's commentaries. Some just plain funny, and fun coming from a Korean, and some really insightful. Thanks for adding that.